Pathetic
by mspolapotter
Summary: I never meant to hurt her... The long overdue sequel to Unbelievable!


Finally. Here I am with the long-overdue sequel to Unbelievable! a lot of readers requested that I create a fic parallel to Hermione's thoughts so this might turn out to be a trilogy if you guys ask for what happens next. Anyhoo, on with the fic!

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She's amazing.

Her bushy brown hair that perfectly framed her beautiful face, her chocolate brown eyes that sparkle every time she sees something that pleases her, her pleasant smile that she shares with the world every time she's happy.

She's my best friend and I've been with her all these years. I can't believe I'm thinking about this only now_. You are pathetic, Potter. Pathetic. You're in love with your best friend and you're too afraid to tell her. Pathetic._

"Harry," she said. My head spins every time she says my name. "You're freaking me out."

"Huh, what?" I asked.

"You've been staring at . . . something for five minutes." Hermione asked me. Apparently, I've been having this daydream for too long. But I can't help it. I can stare at her forever. Oh wait, maybe that's not such a good idea. I might melt.

_Pathetic. Outrageously and insanely pathetic._

"What's with you?" she asked. "You've been daydreaming all day."

"Just thinking," I replied, trying to keep everything light. "About exams. And homework."

"Wow," she said with a bit of reverence. "I never thought a Harry Potter would someday be thinking about exams and homework seriously."

"Well, I've been hanging out with you," I replied defensively. "Your endless devotion to education has to rub off on me sometime."

She shook her head and smiled at me. "I reckon Ron's getting a little jealous."

"Ron?" I clarified with a tone of disbelief in my vote. Ron's been distant lately. I haven't heard from him for weeks. We're in the same dormitory, mind. "Of what?"

"The attention," Hermione replied. Everyone was staring at us and pointing at us while we walked. We were the latest love tandem of the school. "You know how Ron's like with that. He likes getting them for himself."

"Oh well," I shrugged. "Just brush it off."

"Do you hear what everyone's calling us now?" she asked when we were settled in the Great Hall for lunch.

"What?"

"Harmony."

"Bingo, we have a winner!" I said teasingly.

"What do you mean, 'Bingo, we have a winner?'"

"We're using that when we confirm the rumors."

Hermione looked at me startlingly. Her expression was so adorable that I had to laugh. Soon enough, she laughed as well.

I had to tell her. I just _had_ to. I wouldn't want to stay Pathetic Potter forever. I had to tell her now.

I decided to take the risk by handing her a note.

_What do you think of me?_ I wrote. I pushed the note towards her. She shook her head and began scribbling.

_What is this? A trick question or something?_ She wrote.

_Just answer, okay?_

Hermione thought deeply for the next two minutes and then began scribbling. Unfortunately, Snape had caught on. He approached Hermione, whose head was still bent down and snatched the paper from under her hair.

"What is this? Exam key perhaps?" Snape said. He quietly began reading our silent "conversation." I swear I saw him knot his forehead a couple of times.

Oh, _maaan._

He ignited the edge of the parchment and dropped it on our desk. "Fifty points from Gryffindor," he added. "And next time, don't let me catch you passing love letters in class or it'll be detention."

With that said, the class began jeering and wolf-whistling. I saw Hermione hide her face in her bushy hair and I could feel the blood rushing to my face.

"I'm so sorry about that," I apologized after we were an earshot away from Snape.

"Nah, that's okay."

"So. Back to my question," I continued. I grabbed her books from her hands. "What do you think of me?"

Hermione looked at me incredulously and didn't immediately answer. "Well, for one, you . . . save people."

"Is that good?"

"In a way."

"What do you mean 'in a way?'"

"Sometimes," she began, "your 'saving-people-thing' takes over you."

"Saving-people-thing?"

"You know, your tendency to take the blame and save everyone," she explained. "It's kinda annoying sometimes, but I can take it as long as it doesn't cause you OCD."

I laughed and shook my head. I can't believe what she just said. _Saving-people-thing, huh?_

"How much will you love a person?"

"I dunno," she admitted.

"What if . . . _I _was in love with you?" I asked, still trying to keep things light. "What if I say something like . . . can your heart be mine?"

"Well, that still depends on the person . . ."

"How about 'stay by my side?'" I asked again. _Hint. Hint. Nudge, nudge_.

"You are so pathetic, Harry Potter," she said.

"Why, yes. Yes I am," I replied with a huge grin. She just smiled and shook her head.

"You know, if you want to go out with a girl, you should tell her directly," Hermione said.

How did she—? Who told—? Why is she—?

"I do not know what you are talking about, miss," I said in a fake old English manner. Is my cover blown? _Oh maaaan!_

"I'm talking about Ginny," she replied.

"Ginny?" I repeated, slightly miffed.

"Yes," she said. "Ginny. As in your best friend's sister."

I can't help but laugh out loud.

"Okay, what makes you think I'm in love with Ginny?" he asked.

"Well, for one, I know you're jealous of her and Dean," she replied I opened my mouth to answer, but she stopped me. "Don't _dare _deny it. It's obvious."

"How is it obvious?" I asked.

"Well, it . . . it just _is_, okay?" she replied. "And B, because I know you're acting all nice around me because you're trying to impress her and you want someone to go to when you fight."

"Is it bad to be around you a lot because, well, I don't know, because _I'm your best friend_?" I said. Hermione was becoming more and more ridiculous by the minute.

"Just say it and come clean, okay?" Hermione said, and muttered something under her breath.

"What?" I asked.

"_Nothing_, okay?" she said heatedly. "It's _nothing_. Now if you excuse me," she snatched her books out of my hands and gave me a piercing look. "I have more important things to do than talk to _dense_ guys."

And with a hair flip she walked on without me.

"What did I do?" I wondered out loud.

***

The next day, I didn't see Hermione. Usually she was out of bed early on Saturdays, lying down on the common room couch by herself, reading a book while others were outside.

The couch was empty. And so was the rest of the common room.

I sat down and stroked the red velvet smiling at the memories that flooded back to me.

"Harry?" somebody said. I hoped it was Hermione—wait, reality check, _hoped? _Well, duh, I must really be in love with her, then—but it was Ginny.

"Hey, Gin," I said a bit awkwardly. "Seen Hermione?"

"Actually, I was going to talk to you about her," she said. We sat on the couch. "I'm getting worried. She hasn't slept at all. She's been crying. I asked her what was wrong, and she said, 'I just hate some guys for being really dense. You know, you're so obvious that you like them. Then suddenly, something comes up that he likes somebody else and when you ask him about it, he just denies it. It just hurts more when the person you love lies to you, you know what I mean?' I just nodded and then she covered her face with her pillow again. I was wondering if you knew who she was talking about."

Oh _maaan._

"Yep. I sure do," I replied.

"Give him a good kick in the arse for me, will you?" she said with a smile.

"Sure. And tell Hermione that everything's gonna be okay," I added. _WTF, Potter? Everything's gonna be okay? You just broke her!_

"I will."

Then she stood up and walked up back to the dormitories again.

I stood up as well.

_Stupid._

Then I proceeded to kicking my own arse.

_Pathetic, Potter. Pathetic. Look at what you've done._

Oh no.

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So like it? hate it? love it? despise it? let me know, okay? :) thanks for reading


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